Lock



J. W. FnTz GERALD Rm? LOCK Filed May 14, 1934 4 sheets-559e; 1.

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AWM Y; W36., J. W. F11-z GERALD LOCK Filed May 14, 1954 ist@ J. W. FITZ GERALD LOCK Filed Mayl4, 1934 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 AWM 79 WE@ J. w. FITZ GERALD QEAW LOCK l Filed May 14, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Apr. 7, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LOCK Application May 14, 1934, Serial No. 725,466

11 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in locks and has as an object to provide an improved cylinder lock of the type in which the tumblers move endwise of their cylinder.

Another object of this invention is to provide a lock which is exceptionally small in its overall size and which affords maximum protection against picking or decoding.

Another object of this invention is to provide a lock of the character described so constructed as to necessitate accurate retraction of all of its tumblers before the cylinder will be freed for movement.

Another object of this invention is to provide a lock in which the cylinder is secured against movement by a locking member operable directly by any one and all of the key actuated tumblers so that as long as any one tumbler is in any but its fully retracted position, the locking member will be maintained in its operative interlocking position.

Another object of this invention is to provide novel means for maintaining the locking member assembled with the cylinder of the lock.

Another object of this invention resides in the provision of a lock of the character described in which the tumblers are retained assembled with the cylinder by a plug so secured in the cylinder that upon the application of excessive turning stress on the plug, the means securing it in place shears off to preclude the transmission of such turning force to the cylinder proper.

With the above and other objects in View which will appear as the description proceeds, this inl i vention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the herein disclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claims.

The accompanying drawings illustrate one complete, example of the physical embodiment of the invention constructed according to the best mode so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section view through a lock embodying this invention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section view taken on the plane of the line 2-2 of Figure l;

Figure 3 is a cross section view taken through Figure l on the plane of the line 3-3;

Figure 4 is a cross section view taken through Figure l on the plane ofthe line 4 4;

Figure 5 is a cross section view taken through Figure 1 on the plane of the line 5-5;

Figure 6 is a cross section View taken through Figure 1 on the plane of the line 6 6;

Figure 'l is a longitudinal section View similar 5 to Figure 1, but showing the key in place; Figure 8 is a longitudinal section view similar to Figure 2, but with the key in place;

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the rear end of a lock; l0

Figure 10 is a perspective View of the tumblers and the locking member shown separated from the lock and in their proper relative positions; and

Figure ll is a perspective View of the key.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, the numeral 5 designates the cylinder of the lock which is rotatably mounted in a shell or mounting member E, securable in any supporting structure (not shown). The mounting member or shell 6 may be of any suitable design and construction and in the present instance, is in the form of a cylindrical shell open at its rear end and provided with an inwardly directed iiange 'l at its front end.

The cylinder 5 is inserted into the shell or mounting member 6 from its open rear end and has its front end engaging the flange 1, where it is held by a pin 8 Xed in the cylinder and projecting into an arcuate slot 9 in the mounting member. The ends of the arcuate slot 9 determine the limits of rotation of the cylinder, which in the present instance, is ninety degrees. Rotation of the cylinder may be imparted to any mechanism to be actuated by an eccentric driving cam Ill projecting from the rear end of the cylinder.

The cylinder is releasably secured against rotation with respect to the mounting member or shell 6 by a locking member l I slidably mounted in a radial opening I2 in the rear end portion of the cylinder. The locking member, as best illustrated in Figure 10, is substantially a at plate having its outer edge curved to coincide with the cylindrical surface of the cylinder when the locking member is in its inactive position disposed wholly within the cylinder. The side edges of the locking member are straight and parallel and r its inner edge I3 is bevelled or substantially V- shaped for a purpose to be later described.

The locking member Il is readily detachably retained assembled with the cylinder by a spring ring i4 seated in an annular groove l5 encircling the cylinder rearwardly of its radial opening I2, with a lug IG on one end thereof projecting forwardly through a gateway I'I which communicates the annular groove I 5 with the radial opening I2 to engage and bear down on the locking member (see Figure 9). So that no portion of the spring ring will project beyond the outer edge of the locking member, its outer curved edge is recessed as at I8 to receive the lug IS.

Besides readily releasably maintaining the locking member assembled with the cylinder, the spring ring also yieldably urges the locking member to its inactive position wholly disposed within the cylinder and disengaged from a keeper recess I9 in the rear end of the mounting member or shell 6. Obviously, when the locking member is projected into engagement with the keeper recess I9, the cylinder is secured against rotation with respect to the mounting member.

The locking member is projected to its operative interlocking position directly by the tumblers indicated generally by the numeral 23, which are mounted to move axially with respect to the cylinder in a longitudinal tumbler receiving chamber ZI formed in the cylinder.

The chamber 2l opens to the bottom of a counterbore 22 in the front end of the cylinder which is closed by a plug 23 and as best shown in Figure 3, is rectangular in cross section and has three longitudinal grooves 24 in its opposite sides to provide spring pockets and guides for the tumblers. Communicating with the bottom of the chamber, which is located just forward of the opening I2 in which the locking member slides, are three longitudinally extending substantially rectangular openings 25 to receive the rear ends 26 of the tumblers. The openings 25 are in line with the grooves 24 and are of a width slightly greater than the combined thickness of two tumblers, there being two tumblers mounted in each of the openings 25.

All of the openings 25 communicate with the inner end of the radial opening I2 so that the inner V shaped edge I3 of the locking member is directly engageable with the adjacent edges of the tumbler end portions 26. These edges of the tumblers have V shaped notches 21 into which the edge I3 of the locking member engages when all of the tumblers are pushed in to a predetermined retracted position by a proper key 28.

The outer ends of the tumblers are cut away or stepped at their inner edges as at 29 so as to provide spaces for spring engaging lugs 3() bent laterally from outwardly projecting arms 3! on the front ends of the tumblers. The spring engaging lugs 30 extend into grooves 24 to engage the outer ends of springs 32 disposed in said grooves with their inner ends bearing against the bottoms thereof. In this manner, the tumblers are arranged in two adjacent rows with their key engaging front ends 33 in two side by side rows and with those of one row staggered between those of the other.

Normally the key engaging ends 33 of the tumblers bear against the inner face of the plug 23 to which position they are yieldably projected by their individual springs 32.

In this position, the V shaped notches 2 in the rear end portions of the tumblers are out of alignment as shown in Figure l0, so that the locking member I I is projected outwardly and held in its operative interlocking position.

Insertion of the key 28 through the keyway 34 in the plug and the application of inward pressure thereon to move the key inwardly a distance determined by the engagement of a lug 35 on the key with the bottom of a recess communicating with the keyway 34 in the plug, pushes all of the tumblers to their proper inactive positions at which their respective notches 21 are aligned and the locking member is free to be moved to be retracted out of its interlocking position.

The key 28 is of special construction and has its tumbler engaging end formed with two spaced blades 36 for engagement with the two rows of tumblers. The ends of the blades 36 are stepped as illustrated to provide three tumbler engaging surfaces 3l properly located with respect to the distance from the key engaging surfaces 33 of the tumblers to their respective notches 2l'.

The key may be formed in one piece or built up of three separate plate-like sections riveted together as shown. The center section 38 has its end terminating inwardly of the tumbler engaging spaces 3l a sufcient distance so as not to contact any of the tumblers, and the lug 35 is preferably formed as part of this center member.

In tting the key and tumblers to each other, the key is inserted and pushed to its inward limit of movement before the notches 2'I are cut. Then with the key held in this position the notches 2'I may be cut by running a drill back and forth in the radial opening I2.

The plug 23, which closes the front end of the tumbler receiving chamber, is secured in the counterbore 22 by a pin 39 which shears olf in the event excessive turning stress is imparted to the plug by means of a tool inserted into its keyway 34, so as to preclude the possibility of applying such turning force to the cylinder.

It is observed that the plug has an annular groove 4I) in line with the pin 39 so that the shearing edges acting on the pin, in the event of forced rotation of the plug, are spaced apart causing the pin to shear with a portion thereof remaining in the annular groove 40 to prevent axial withdrawal from the plug and access to the tumblers. This latter feature is a measure of protection afforded in addition to the flange 'I which extends over the front of the plug, as shown.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains, that the lock of this invention is exceptionally compact and affords maximum protection against picking and decoding. Picking is precluded by reason of the fact that it is impossible to reach the locking member II to impart pressure thereto which would be necessary to frictionally hold the tumblers in the positions to which they might be moved by a picking tool, and inasmuch as all of the tumblers have their key engaging surfaces in at alignment when in their normal spring pressed positions and all are movable to the same degree, decoding cannot be effected.

The exceptional security of the lock is primarily due to the fact that the locking member is projected and held in its operative interlocking position by any one tumbler acting in itself, the spring 32 of any one tumbler being stronger than the spring ring I4.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. In a lock, a. mounting member, a lock cylinder movable in the mounting member, key operable tumblers within the lock cylinder, a locking member carried by the lock cylinder and guided for radial movement into locking engagement with the mounting member by the parallel actief-74'? Walls of a slot in the cylinder, said slot having the tumblers entering the same to act on the locking member and project the locking member outwardly, and a spring ring embracing the cylinder lWith a part engaging the locking member to yieldably maintain the locking member in operative engagementwith the tumblers and assembled With the lock cylinder.

2. In a lock, a bored mounting member, a lock cylinder movable in the'mounting member bore, a locking member slidable radially in an open radial slot in the lock cylinder and projectable therefrom into locking engagement With the mounting member to secure the lock cylinder against movement with respect to the mounting member, a spring ring encircling the lock cylinder with a part bearing on the locking member to maintain the locking member readily detachably assembled with the lock cylinder and to yieldably urge the locking member out of locking engagement with the mounting member, a plurality of locking tumblers carried by the cylinder each of which is operable directly on the locking member to project and hold the locking member in locking engagement with the mounting member, except When moved to a predetermined position by a proper key, and individual springs for the tumblers to move the same out of said predetermined position, each of said individual springs being stronger by itself than the spring means acting on the locking member, whereby any one tumbler not held in said predetermined position is capable of projecting the locking member into locking engagement with the mounting member.

3. In a lock having a lock cylinder movable in a mounting member. a locking member projectable from the cylinder into locking engagement with the mounting member, key controlled means to so project the locking member, and common spring means to readily detachably retain the locking member assembled with the cylinder and to Withdraw the locking member from locking engagement with the mounting member upon predetermined actuation of said key controlled means.

4. In a lock having a cylinder movable Within a mounting member, a locking member projectable from the cylinder into locking engagement with the mounting member, releasable means to so project the locking member, and a spring ring encircling the cylinder and engaging the locking member to readily detachably retain the locking member assembled with the cylinder and to retract the locking member from locking engagement with the mounting member upon release of the means projecting it from the cylinder.

5. In a lock having a lock cylinder movable in a mounting member, a locking member projectable radially from the cylinder into locking engagement with the mounting member, a spring ring disposed in an annular groove in the cylin der and having a part overlying the locking member to retain the locking member assembled with the cylinder and yieldably urge the locking member into the cylinder and o-ut of locking engagement with the mounting member, and key controlled means in the cylinder to overcome the action of said spring ring and project the locking member to its operative interlocking position.

6. In a lock, a mounting member, a cylinder movable in the mounting member and having a radial opening and an annular groove adjacent the opening and communicating with the opening, a locking member movable in the radial opening from a position Wholly Within the cylinder to a projected position having locking engagement with the mounting member, and a spring ring seated in said annular groove and having a part engaging and bearing down on the locking member to yieldably urge the locking member to its retracted position Within the cylinder and maintain the locking member assembled with the cylinder.

7. Ina lock, a mounting member, a lock cylin der movable in the mounting member and having a radial opening, a locking member movable in the radial opening from a position Wholly retracted therein to a position projecting from the cylinder into locking engagement with the mounting member, spring means carried by the cylinder to readily detachably maintain the locking member assembled with the cylinder and to yieldably urge the locking member at all times into the cylinder and out of locking engagement 'f with the mounting member, and key controlled means to oppose said spring means and project the locking member into locking engagement with the mounting member.

8. In a lock having a cylinder movable in a mounting member, a locking member projectable radially from the cylinder into locking engagement with the mounting member, and a spring ring encircling the cylinder at a point adjacent the locking member and having a lug projecting therefrom and engaging the locking member to readily detachably maintain the locking member assembled with the cylinder and yieldably urge the locking member into the cylinder and out of locking engagement with the mounting member.

9. In a lock, a bored mounting member, a lock cylinder rotatable in the mounting member bore and having a longitudinal tumbler receiving chamber, a plurality of spring pressed tumblers mounted in said chamber for movement endwise with respect to the cylinder and yieldably urged to project toward the front of the cylinder, a plug at the front of the cylinder closing the tumbler receiving chamber and retaining the tumblers therein, said plug having a key opening for the reception of a key operable on the tumblers, and means to hold the plug assembled with the cylinder, said means shearing ol in the event of excessive turning stress applied to said plug so as to preclude forced turning of the cylinder through the medium of a tool inserted into the key opening of the plug, said plug and cylinder being so formed adjacent the means for s-ecuring the plug to the cylinder that upon shearing thereof, part of said means serves to prevent axial Withdrawal of the plug from the cylinder.

l0. In a lock, a bored mounting member, a lock cylinder rotatable in the mounting member bore and having a longitudinal tumbler receiving chamber opening at its front end to a counterbore, tumblers in said chamber of the cylinder spring pressed toward the front of the cylinder, a plug in the counterbore to hold the tumblers in the chamber, said plug having a key opening to chamber opening at its front end to a counterbore, tumblers in said chamber of the cylinder spring pressed toward the front of the cylinder, a plug in the counterbore to hold the tumblers in the chamber, said plug having a key opening to permit the insertion of a key for engagement with the tumblers, and a pin extending through adjacent portions of the cylinder and plug and adapted to shear off upon the application of ex- 10 cessive turning force to the plug through the 

